The Nomad … news, views, comment, opinion

January 21

A Drive for Understanding
There was an interesting report in the Australasian Trucking News about “lawless” truckies who are reportedly harassing grey nomads on the Newell Highway.
Mobile home owner Raymond Moore claims the Newell has been turned into an “outlaw zone” filled with B-doubles tearing down the road at speeds of 130km/h.
He told ATN that truckies are tailgating caravan and mobile home drivers and threatening them if they do not get out of their way.
And now he wants speeds cut. Mr Moore says he and other travellers are taking their complaints to the NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) to urge greater on-road enforcement and for trucks to be restricted to a top speed of 90km/h.
The highway’s speed limit was recently cut from 110km/h to 100km/h.
Although a spokesperson for the RTA says the roads department has received some complaints about truck drivers using the highway, there are no plans to reduce the speed limit to 90km/h.
However, the RTA spokesperson says enforcement numbers will be increased during the next three years and regular RTA inspections will continue. But Mr Moore is adamant the problem is a real one in need of urgent attention.
“They are lawless out there. It’s the only way you can describe them,” Moore says of truck drivers. “The speed these guys are travelling at on the Newell Highway is mind boggling.”
According to Moore, an elderly man was harassed to the point where he refused to get back on the road because he was a “nervous wreck”.
“The truck driver came up and tormented the hell out of him,” Moore says. “He was there for six days too frightened to move.”
Moore says he has in the past attempted to help truck drivers while on the road and that he grew up in a family that respected the profession.
But since packing up and driving around Australia, Moore says he has lost all respect for them.
“It’s not just me it’s the whole caravan and mobile home community,” he says.
The chairman of the Australian Caravan Club, Lionel Musell, says there have been issues between travellers and truck drivers for a few years.
But he says the group educates its members to help truck drivers by not getting in their way.
Rather than calling for speed limits to be cut, the manager of the NSW branch of the Australian Trucking Association (ATA NSW), Jill Lewis, says there should be a focus on educating drivers.
Lewis says she is unaware of significant incidents between truckies and grey nomads on the Newell.
“Most truck drivers are professional and drive to the conditions of the road,” she says.
“I don’t know reducing the speed another 10km/h will make a lot of difference.”
The spokesperson for the RTA says the NSW Government has invested more than $50 million this financial year to improve safety on the Newell, following a $30 million safety investment announced lat year.
“The NSW Government has invested more than $250 million on safety and maintenance upgrades on the Newell in the past five years,” the spokesperson says.

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January 20

The Heat is On
The recent heatwave which has left much of the country positively baking may be a sign of things to come if the meteorologists are right.
Indeed, the Bureau of Meteorology says recent figures showing Australia has experienced its hottest decade since records began in 1910 are clear evidence of climate change.
The Bureau's annual report has found the average temperature over the past 10 years was 0.48 degrees Celsius above average. 2009 was Australia's second-warmest year on record, with the annual mean temperature 0.90C above average.
Climatologist David Jones told the ABC that each decade since the 1940s has been warmer than the previous one. And he has warned that this year is set to be even hotter, with temperatures likely to be between 0.5 and 1 degrees above average.
"There's no doubt about global warming, the planet's been warming now for most of the last century," he said.
Of course, the whole issue of global warming is a very serious one with many long-term implications. But, putting those aside for one moment, the warmer climate is also having a huge impact on grey nomads in the short term. All of you who were on the road sweating through the last week or two can testify to that! There is an increased bushfire risk, of course, but there are also issues such as the simple matter of getting some decent sleep … particularly if you are staying away from powered sites. So, how has the heatwave affected you? Do you find yourself getting more irritable with your partner? Have you got any tips for keeping your cool when the mercury rises? Email us here with your thoughts.

January 15

Road Train Crash
Well, stories like this one aren’t going to do much for any of you already nervous of sharing the bitumen or dirt with scary looking road trains.
The Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory was left with a scar 20 metres long after the trailer of a moving road train crashed and tore through the bitumen. The NT News reports that debris was scattered across the entire road where the three-carrier truck crashed - about 6 kilometres south of Elliott.
The driver is believed to have lost control over his road train just after 2.30am when some wheels on the last trailer drifted onto the soft dirt of the road shoulder. The trailer was then dragged along the road, gouging a 20m-long and 30cm-deep scar in the bitumen before rolling and spilling its cargo across both lanes.
The driver escaped uninjured.
Alice Springs acting superintendent Darrell Kerr said the cause of the crash was still unclear.
"Investigations are still ongoing, so we don't know the actual cause of why one of the trailers has become wobbly and it rolled," he said. "There is some damage to the axle and the wheels on one of the trailers but at this stage we don't know what actually caused that - whether it was a fault beforehand or caused during the accident."
Police and fire and emergency response groups from Elliott and Tennant Creek rushed to the accident scene.
Together with staff of the NT Infrastructure Department they spent a day cleaning up the scene and redirecting traffic. A crane was also believed to having been called to remove the flipped trailer.
Have you had any close encounters with road trains? Share your esperience by emailing us here. Any tips for safe driving when the ships of the road are out and about? Email us  here.

January 14

Battling Bushfire Gawkers
In a land where bushfires are an ever-present danger and their devastating consequences all too widely known, it beggars belief that blaze ‘sightseers’ are such a hindrance to emergency services that legislation may be required to deal with the problem.
Sadly, it’s not a joke. A push is being made to impose a 'gawkers fine' on sightseers who hang around bushfire zones.
According to the ABC, the Port Lincoln mayor Peter Davis has met South Australia's Premier and Opposition Leader to try to win bipartisan support for such a fine.
It seems that firefighters battling a blaze which destroyed houses at Port Lincoln recently were hampered by sightseers who congested roads to get a closer view of the bushfire.
Mr Davis says people caught by using their mobile phone cameras at bushfire scenes should be fined hundreds of dollars.
"I've taken steps with the Premier and with [Opposition Leader] Isobel Redmond for a bipartisan policy when Parliament re-sits to immediately enforce the capacity of emergency service personnel to photograph these idiots' number plates and you'll get a 'gawkers fine'," he said.
So, what do you make of the suggestion? Is a gawkers’ fine a good idea? Or is it wrong to stop people taking photos of whatever they like and look at whatever they like whenever they like? Have you ever been a bushfire gawker? Email us here with your views on the move?

January 13

The Comeback Campsite
We have followed the Agnes Water caravan park saga pretty closely in these columns over the months and years, and it is an enormous pleasure to report on what looks like being a happy ending.
There was much despair and gnashing of teeth when the iconic beachfront park in the Queensland beauty spot was closed down several years ago to make way for a proposed luxury development. The voices of hundreds – if not thousands – of disappointed grey nomads and travellers who had stayed at the park regularly didn’t seem to count for much as the ‘Closed’ signs went up. But money talks. The prime site stood empty for six years and the town lost millions in tourism dollars before the former developer eventually went bust and the resort plan finally flopped.
It was time for a massive re-think which led to the birth of the First Point Caravan Park on the same spot as the old park. It opened just before Christmas and, according to developer Dan Murphy, it is already a big hit and has given a welcome boost to the town’s economy.
 “We were completely booked during Christmas and New Year, and even now it’s sitting at around 90%,” Mr Murphy said, adding that 25,000 people used to visit the old Agnes Water Caravan Park annually before it was unceremoniously closed.
Locals have certainly noticed things pick up since the 300-person park emerged.
Agnes Water Post Office owner Mike Allen is among the business people in the area who welcomes the park’s opening.
“You used to see the grey nomad trail come in to town, the caravan park was booked out two and three years ahead and the place was lively,” he told the Bundaberg News Mail. “That disappeared when the old park shut but it’s definitely picking up again,”
Oh yes, optimism is returning with the advent of First Point.
 “The economy changed for the worst when it shut down and word spread on the grapevine –  people weren’t coming back.” Mr Allen said. “As a business owner I can say we are all very pleased it has re-opened.”
And as lovers of beautiful coastal camping spots we can certainly echo those sentiments. So, a warm welcome back to a caravan park at Agnes Water  … hopefully you will be just the first of many coastal camping spot comebacks!

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January 12

Bushfire Alert Activated
Campsites in Victoria's iconic Grampians National Park are among those to have been evacuated as temperatures in the state soar, and new bushfire alert systems come into effect.
The Wimmera district in western Victoria is under the state's first ‘code red’ catastrophic fire warning as residents brace for the worst. Other parks to close include Lake Hindmarsh Reserve and the Little Desert National Park.
A total fire ban has been declared across Victoria, with temperatures in the Wimmera area set to hit the mid-40s and strong northerly winds forecast.
With national parks closing visitors are evacuating campsites and The Halls Gap Caravan and Tourist Park had an influx of 20 campers on Sunday night, as grey nomads and other travellers were forced to find alternative accommodation.
The Country Fire Authority's chief officer Russell Rees says people must act quickly.
"We are concerned about their lives, the lives of their loved ones, their own lives and we want people to take action," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We want everyone to understand that you do not wait around for a fire and then get on the road. Being on the road during a fire is the most dangerous place to be."
In South Australia, fire crews in Adelaide's north have extinguished several blazes believed to be deliberately lit, as the state's catastrophic fire warnings also come into effect.
Fire authorities are anticipating the state's worst fire conditions in five years.
Ten of the state's 15 fire districts will be under catastrophic conditions, another three extreme, while the remaining two districts have been issued a severe warning.
South Australians living in fire districts issued with a catastrophic warning are being urged to consider leaving their homes.
Dangerous times indeed, and none of us should need any reminding, given the tragic events of recent years, about the need for vigilance and care when in areas vulnerable to bushfire.
Have you been affected by the park closures? Email us here with your experiences.

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January 11

Van Parks Get a Lift
As prime land along the Victorian coastline is snapped up by developers for houses or hotels, it’s a real refreshing change to find a council prepared to save and even to improve its iconic beachside caravan parks.
Over the past 100 years or so, thousands of grey nomads and other travellers have enjoyed magical times at camping grounds by the sea at Warrnambool in Victoria …
and it looks like they might be doing so for at least another century.
Warrnambool City Council has pledged to provide affordable family coastal holiday facilities for the foreseeable future.
"Some of the facilities are old and tired and it's time to invest more in them,” said the council’s Tourism Services Manager Peter Abbott. "We want to make sure we do it to best practice rather than just patching holes ... the council wants to build infrastructure for the future, not look at the past."
Hallelujah!
"Affordable coastal holidays are becoming harder to get,” he said. “Crown land foreshore parks like Warrnambool's are becoming more and more unique."
We’re glad somebody in authority has noticed!
Applications have now been called for a consultant to come up with a recommended plan for co-ordinated investment in improving Surf Side Holiday and Shipwreck Bay caravan parks in the next five years with government and council funds.
Shipwreck Bay, with 520 camp sites, is open from Christmas to Easter to handle the peak holiday periods while the Surfside Holiday Park, with 680 camp sites and 24 cabins, runs all year.
A consultant will be hired for about $35,000 to produce a blueprint for modernising the parks which are expected to generate $1.87 million in site fees this financial year giving the city council a net revenue of $744,000.
Oh, and the council is also calling for ideas from tourists to help improve facilities. So, if you know the area, then help to make sure the powers-that-be get it right. Email: wbool_city@warrnambool.vic.gov.au
And, in case you are wondering, Mr Abbott said there was absolutely no intention for the council to hand over its management role of the Crown land assets to private operators. "We want to do an assessment of all the facilities and what can be done to lift the standards,” he said. “The council is committed to the development of all its parks.”

January 7

Take Your Pick
What do you all make of the decision by the Industrial Relations Commission to keep existing pay methods in place?
Certainly, fruit growers across Victoria are celebrating after Australia's industrial relations body decided to change their minds and will now not to bring in hourly rates for fruit-pickers rather than paying for the amount of fruit picked.
The industry had said the change have forced many growers out of business and cost thousands of fruit-picking jobs. The ABC says Victorian horticulture industry grows from employing 50,000 to 100,000 people during annual harvests.
The Victorian Farmers Federation's horticulture president, Rien Silverstein, says farmers who employ those workers would have been threatened by the change.
"We would have gone broke as many others would have if you'd have to pay casual rates for fruit-picking. It just isn't a viable way to work," he said. "There are people that do pick really well - they do pick seven or eight bins a day - and if they were working on casual rates, they wouldn't come. They couldn't earn good money as they do when they're earning piece-rate work."
Email us here with your views.

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January 5

Preparation is the Key
The ABC recently reported that a new Queensland study has found 'grey nomads' may need to be better prepared before they set off on their journeys.
Dr Patricia Obst, from the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety at the Queensland University of Technology, says few carried first-aid kits or rated their first-aid knowledge as adequate.
She says more than 600 travellers over 55 were surveyed about their health and preparation for driving rural roads.
"Of that sample, around 90 per cent of them actually did tow caravans and only around 50 per cent did have extensive towing experience," she said.
"When we looked into that a little bit more, we did find some concerning things such as around 40 per cent of those caravaners didn't carry equipment such as sway bars and weight distribution hitches which are fairly essential safety items."
Dr Obst said 'grey nomads' could also benefit from driver education programs that dealt with handling road trains and the narrow bitumen roads they are likely to encounter in the bush.
Does anyone out there on the road now wish that they had taken a first aid course or a towing course before they set off?  Do you think driver education programs highlighting specific ‘bush driving’ issues should be offered to nomads? Email us here with your views.

December 31

Best wishes for 2010
Happy New Year to all of you wonderful grey nomads. I’m guessing and hoping that your New Year’s Resolutions list will be reading something like this … travel more, worry less … and good on you for it.  Glancing into the crystal ball, I am sure that 2010 is going to be another great year when you are going to meet some wonderful new friends, visit some unbelievable new places, and learn to relax just that little bit more. We are all so blessed and so lucky to be able to live and to travel in such an incredibly special country.
2010 also promises to be an exciting and interesting year on the grey nomads website. We have some exciting changes planned here that will hopefully enhance both your real-life traveling and your online travelling experiences. 2009 has been a fantastic year on the site in general and on the forum in particular. We have seen membership grow steadily and interest grow spectacularly. Questions have been answered, friendships made, and would-be grey nomads inspired. And, above all, it has been fun. Thank you all so much for your fantastic support over the past 12 months. This site ultimately belongs to you and it is all of you who have helped to make it such a very special place. Have a wonderful, safe and positive 2010. 

Jobs Drying Up
The devastating effects of the drought in so many parts of Australia are being felt in a massive number of rural communities and, inevitably, they are also having an impact on the grey nomad experience.
While subtle signs of hard times are omnipresent, it sometimes takes something dramatic like a business closure or mass job lay-offs to underline just what an effect the drought and the troubling economic times are having in the bush.
Just this week, one such dramatic event occurred when Roger Fletcher confirmed the axing of up to 300 jobs at Dubbo-based Fletcher International Exports.
According to local media reports, Mr Fletcher, the self-made former drover who built Australia’s largest meat empire over 30 years, was stony faced and battling to contain his emotions as he announced the news.
The night shift will go "some time after Christmas", traineeships are to be suspended and employment will no longer be offered to the likes of grey nomads and students.
As well as drought , rising costs and plummeting sheep numbers are to blame for the cutbacks at Dubbo’s largest employer.
"It would be wrong to keep processing at our current rate but we value our employees and will endeavour to keep all permanent staff in work,” Mr Fletcher said. “The company will be gearing itself up for when the drought does break. Our aim is to keep the plant running, to stay financial and keep paying our bills.’’
The Fletcher International wool top plant remains unaffected.
Of course, those older travelers who have previously picked up work at Fletchers will be disappointed by the announcement but there are other places to travel to and other jobs to seek out. Those who live permanently in Dubbo and who rely on Fletchers for income full-time will be far more worried. They will not be alone as the drought continues to cause untold pain in the bush.

December 11

Stars and stripes in our eyes
There’s been a fair old ‘hoo hah’ over the news that an American conglomerate has bought five of our most iconic tourist destinations ... and there could be more to follow.
The Sydney Daily Telegraph has been leading the chorus of disapproval, claiming there is no telling what it calls McTourism will end.
It even went so far as to suggest, tongue firmly in cheek I hope, that by around 2020 American tour guides in Far North Queensland will be welcoming tourists to the Great Barrier McReef and pointing out sights such as Woodrow Wilson Island "names after ourlate president". And is Nike Air's Rock really such an outrageous possibility? After all, many Americans do find Uluru a bit hard to pronounce!
Okay, so what’s getting everyone so excited?
Delaware North now owns three islands in the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef  – Wilson, Lizard and Heron. The hospitality and food giant has also gobbled up Kings Canyon Resort in Watarrka National Park, midway between Uluru and Alice Springs. And, according to the Daily Telegraph, the ink is almost dry on the contract to buy El Questro Wilderness Park & Homestead on one million acres in WA's Kimberley.
Oh, and just for good measure it now seems that Australia's biggest property trust GPT wants to offload the remainder of the Voyages portfolio, including Ayers Rock Resort, Longitude 131 and Brampton Island.
Delaware North says the purchase of its reef and wilderness properties is part of an overt strategy to move into hotels and resorts in Australia. It certainly does make you wonder what's next.
The Daily Telegraph says it does not mean to imply that Delaware North is incapable of protecting Australia’s pristine assets or that it fails to understand the Australian market ... after all it does have a 20-year history Down Under.
But it is concerned that we appear to be selling off the family jewels? And it questions whether the US government would ever allow a similar ting to happen over there and risk the “Grand Aussie Canyon” or having the Statue of Liberty changed so that it is holding aloft a meat pie.
Is this a ridiculous overreaction by the critics as this is just the global marketplace in operation, or is there something here for us to be nervous about? Email us here with your thoughts.

December 10

Camel Catastrophe
It’s a big week for news on the ships of the desert. Having just learned that thousands of wild camels have been culled after besieging the remote community of Docker River, we now hear that the rotting carcasses of other camels are polluting vital waterholes and sacred sites.
The Central Land Council, which administers Aboriginal land in the nation's arid centre, said the bodies of camels that have died of thirst in the Outback are poisoning water supplies.

the council's land management chief David Alexander told the ABC. "We're ending up with these grisly scenes of camels in every stage of life, death and decay around waterholes."
Thousands of pools, creeks and other water supplies for local indigenous tribes were rendered undrinkable by the decay, with a "significant health risk" when they are refilled by rain, he said.
Without significant rainfall, Alexander said tens of thousands more camels in the drought-gripped region faced a similar fate, with dire environmental and cultural consequences.
"It has the capacity to change the flow of water, it changes the character of these places and some of the specific features around them have their own cultural significance, they have stories associated with them, ceremonial songs," he said.
Native animals were also perishing as a result of the mass deaths, with "massive" impacts on biodiversity, he said.
Central Australia's camels are believed to be the largest wild herd on earth.

December 9

No blaming the navigator
The first GPS system designed specifically for truck drivers in Australia has been released.
ProNav’s PNN-300 features a stack of information over and above the usual content that, at first glance, appears may be useful for grey nomads towing big caravans or driving large motorhomes.
“With safety features that are second to none, ProNav will guide you on your way, ensuring a safe and smooth journey,” said a spokesperson. “Safety features include potential hazard warnings; including steep hills, crosswinds, risk of grounding, and sharp bends, dynamic navigation based on vehicles dimensions and safety camera alerts.”
Sounds good.
Similar models are already available in Europe and United States, and the developer, UK based Navevo, is now launching into Australia. This model features turn-by-turn guidance for drivers of trucks, RVs, trailers, buses, vans and caravans. The mapping data is provided by Navteq.
“ProNav allows a driver to enter the vehicle’s vital statistics, including weight, axle weight, height, length and width, as well as the load being carried to calculate the best route to ensure drivers are not confronted with roads or obstacles not suitable for the vehicle or goods,” said the spokesperson.
Features include a 5-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth hands free calling and FM transmitter, text to speech, fixed safety camera warning and easy to read icons.
All interesting stuff. But anyone thinking the gadget might make a nice stocking filler this Christmas should be warned that its recommended retail price is a hefty $799.
We would love to hear your thoughts on whether a product like this would be useful on your big trips, and whether many of you find the conventional GPS systems to be a must-have. What are they good for and what aren’t they good for? Email us here.

December 8

Getting the hump
In scenes reminsicent of a B-grade horror movie, the residents of the remote Northern Territory community of Docker River are apparently being held hostage by a herd of thirsty, marauding camels desperate for water.
Up to six thousand of the giant beasts have besieged the community and have reportedly taken to sucking the water out of air-conditioning units and have also overrun the airport, where it is impossible to land or take off.
Many members of the community are said to be too frightened to leave their homes, and authorities are planning a cull. However, they have come under fire because the camel carcasses are to be left to rot in the desert.
Docker River resident Ronald Kirkman says there is no doubt the camels are causing trouble.
"Just recently they've started to come for the water, damage the pipes and that and we've got to go without water for maybe one or two days," he said. "When they come to the community that's what women and that are worried about. There's a lot of children around here and you get a stampede of camels coming through. They more or less come into those houses and go right through."
The Central Land Council (CLC) says it will cull 3,000 camels around Docker River with funding from the Northern Territory Government.
The deputy chief executive of the local shire, Des Rogers, says he has been inundated with letters and emails from all over the world calling for the cull to be cancelled.
"I had one the other day from Tokyo basically saying you should leave the camels alone and let the children play with the camels and why can't the children lead the camels out of the community?" he said. "So you know that's a bit on the bizarre side, but it reinforces the fact that people really don't understand the circumstances."
Mr Rogers says the cull is not ideal but must go ahead to give some relief to the people of Docker River.
He insists the camels will be culled in the most humane way possible.
"They do a head shot and then they do a heart and lung shot as well,” he said. “They are very experienced shooters."
While the cull will certainly provide relief for the people of Docker River, experts say it will be only temporary because camel numbers in the desert are rising inexorably.

December 7

Generous to a fault
More praise for kind-hearted grey nomads who are making a difference as they circle this wonderful country of ours.
The welfare organisation Frontier Services which runs a program that links volunteers with rural families needing help has been bowled over by the response from travelling folk like yourselves.
Hundreds of grey nomads have signed up to be partof the national program to lend a hand on rural properties and isolated stations … and it’s making a big difference.
The Charleville-based coordinator, Davida Melksham, told the ABC that while demand for help is growing, so too is the spirit of generosity, with more people than ever offering their services.
"We've had an incredible 12 months this past year - we've placed 308 volunteer placements and that's nationally," she said. "We have on our books now about 780 volunteers - not all of those volunteers are active at any one time of course, but it's quite a pool to be dipping into for people that need a hand.”
Of course, this is just one service that is benefiting from the generosity of spirit, skill and experience of grey nomads. There are many, many others. Well done, guys.

December 4
Fighting the good fight
B usselton in Western Australia has found itself at the forefront of the growing movement to try to retain our historic and much-loved caravan parks ... before it’s too late.
The beautiful beachside town is set to become the template for the preservation of caravan parks throughout the state. The State Treasurer Troy Buswell wants the Busselton shire to hold fire on its draft Local Tourism Planning Strategy (LTPS) to explore land-tax incentives to help retain caravan parks in the region.
Mr Buswell said the intent of the strategy relating to caravan parks, which was to preserve them, was entirely appropriate.
“There is a concern across the state that we may lose caravan parks, but Busselton is perhaps the epicentre of those pressures,” he said. “I think the framework the shire is proposing is definitely heading in the right direction, but the method of forcing people to accept rezoning without any form of compensation, nor respect of their private property rights in my view is not appropriate.”
While the authorities look at how it can use land tax as an incentive for people to move into a new planning framework, Mr Buswell says they has to be mindful of protecting their private property rights.
“The intent of encouraging caravan parks to stay caravan parks is something I think would have broad support right across the state,” he said. “What eventually applies to Busselton will have significant implications across the state in terms of how you use town planning schemes and potentially land tax incentives to preserve caravan parks.”
He said that land tax incentives can play a role in preserving caravan parks as it is one of the significant escalating costs that puts pressure on caravan parks.
Currently caravan parks have a 50 per cent land tax cent relief. The shire’s proposal is that if a caravan park is rezoned caravan park they pay no land tax. Currently they are zoned tourist.
“Owners should be entitled to voluntary, rather than compulsory rezoning,” Mr Buswell said. “But we also have to address the concerns around forcing existing park owners into a new regime, without any mention of compensation. That undermines one of the basic pillars of property ownership.”